Joan Lace

Joan Lace (nee Moore) was born on 17th January, 1929 in Glenfaba Road, Peel and has just celebrated her 95th birthday. She has lived her whole life in the Peel district, attending the Wesleyan Chapel, Atholl Street, all her life. She is also a long-time member of the local branch of the Celtic Congress. 

After Peel Clothworkers’, she won a scholarship to attend Douglas High School for Girls (Park Road). On leaving school, she worked in Peel branch of the Isle of Man Bank and later as school secretary at Ballakermeen.

When she married farmer Frank Lace, they moved into Ballalough, Poortown, where she embraced her new life as a farmer’s wife and also raised four children, Marion, Catherine, Juan and Peter.

She says she feels lucky to have lived so long and to have enjoyed good health.

Her elder daughter Marion (Keelan), who sat in on the interview, said: ‘She is kind and interested in people, and in world news. She is loved and appreciated by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren’.

Joan Lace is the author of a book, King of the Sea, which combines her own memoir of her youth in Peel amidst the fishing and the kipper yard, along with the history of her family and the important part they played in the history of Peel. This book offers a perfect accompaniment to this oral history recording and also an invaluable insight into this aspect of Manx history. Joan Lace has very kindly allowed us to offer this book in PDF download here:

King of the Sea by Joan Lace

Interviews

When you click play on one of the interviews below there will be a slight delay as the audio file is downloaded. Large files or slow internet connections will increase the length of this delay.

• Interview with Joan Lace